Megaman Zero 2: On the Edge of Infinity
by KingKazul400
Summary: [Chapter 6][After MMZ 1] Zero recovers from his injuries after an exhausting period where his life hung between life and death. Now, after meeting with the new Resistance leader, Elpizo, Zero must prepare himself for the second coming of war.
1. Chapter 1: Awakening in the Desert

Heya! Kingkazul400 here! This is my first Megaman Zero series fic so no flaming for incorrect things like... I can't think of one...  
  
Anyway, this is based loosely on the events of MMZ and MMZ2 so in no way do I own anything that belongs to Capcom. I only own the games and the comic books. Yep, I got the comic books. They're in Chinese though and I had them for at least thirteen years. Dang, I gotta get the new ones...  
  
Official Disclaimer: In no way do I, Kingkazul400, own anything by Capcom that is related to Megaman. The only thing I'll probably own from Capcom is probably their games and probably their stock in the future.  
  
Important Note: This takes place after MMZ so many of you will be confused. MMZ2 is when it'll be mostly written about.  
  
Sairn: Hiya! I'm Kingkazul400's liddle muse. I'm mostly seen in his Fire Emblem fics but I most likely won't be seeing you in this fic.  
  
Who said so, me or you?  
  
Sairn: Uh, me?  
  
Nope, you're gonna be sitting in soon....  
  
Sairn: Curses!  
  
Ignore the little bugger. Just read the fic.  
  
Sairn: I'll show you little, you oversized giant.  
  
Ignore him.  
  
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Megaman Zero: The Suffering...  
  
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Chapter 1: Awakening in the Desert...  
  
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Dust and wasteland. It was all that was left after Zero the Legend had returned to 'retire' a copy of his old friend, X. The copy of the blue reploid had triggered the final defenses after Zero managed to slice and dice the pirate copy into pieces. The red warrior could recall perfectly what had happened...  
  
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"Why... Why...," the fallen copy said with fear. "I was... supposed to be... the perfect copy...," Zero drew out his beam saber. "How can this be... possible... I was supposed to be... a hero..."  
  
Zero halted before his fallen foe with his beam saber raised, ready to bring it down for one last blow. But the crystal on his helmet briefly flashed. But he remained standing.  
  
"I've just remembered something... He was not as naive as you are," Zero said in a calm voice. "That's what made him a hero."  
  
"I won't forgive you," the copy snarled. "You'll never leave this place alive, Zero," the battered copy of his former friend said haltingly as if unsure. "I'll take you with me. It would be fitting for me to take you along for one last ride... but this is one way, Zero."  
  
Those mysteriously unfamiliar red eyes shut themselves in a satisfied way and Zero had no choice but to hurry and leave.  
  
He leapt over the chasm that was created when Copy X transformed into some wierd angel reploid that Ciel and the other Resistance members called Dark Angel X.  
  
Zero could not remember how he managed to escape the core of Neo-Arcadia but he could remember a little shimmering light similar to a cyber-elf that had flown alongside of him, urging him and telling him which way to go. But once Zero reached the exit, the final blasts caught and tossed the red reploid into the sky.  
  
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Sand. Zero had wondered why he landed into a great pile of sand. He was lying face down when he realized what had happened just possibly mere minutes ago. Rolling over and sucking in the warm yet welcome desert air, he realized that someone was speaking to him. It was warm and very familiar but the voice was full of regret and sorrow.  
  
"Since you disappeared, I've been fighting this war alone against an uncountable number of Mavericks for nearly a hundred years..." the familiar yet sorrowful voice said. "Battle after battle... so painful and so sad... But the hardest part was when I discovered that I no longer cared about fighting enemies..."  
  
Zero managed to turn his head to face the voice. It was a projection coming from a cyber-elf. Squinting his mechanical eyes, Zero realized who it was. It was X, the Blue Legend!  
  
The Blue Legend turned his hologram back to Zero. "I'll leave this world to you, my friend..." it said with more sorrow. It glanced back at him. "Please allow me... the only chance for me to rest in pace... for a while, Zero..."  
  
Zero tried to get up but his systems were still overloaded and he barely sat up. "Why? Why did you show yourself at the last moment?"  
  
X turned around to face Zero. A sorrow and regret still covered his features. "I... I'm sorry, Zero..." Before the red warrior could react, X returned into his cyber-elf form and floated away toward what remained of Neo-Arcadia.  
  
Zero managed to get up on one knee and stood up.  
  
"So be it..." the red warrior said out loud. He then raised one gauntleted fist and clenched it.  
  
"But that's why we are the best of partners."  
  
He reached of his beam saber and activated it. His radar system picked up many life signs. Many hostile life signs.  
  
Zero sighed and closed his eyes. "I'll do what you want, X." More and more hostile life signs appeared on his radar.  
  
He reached for his plasma cannon. "Rest for a while. I will handle it, you can count on me." He opened his eyes and saw over the third sand dune many, many X Drones. Perhaps they were the final guard that were released by the Copy X's final command.  
  
"I won't stop!" Zero yelled at the enemy as he began charging up his plasma cannon. The slow and stupid copies of X continued to lumber closer to the veteran warrior.  
  
"When an enemy appears..." He fired the fully charged cannon releasing a large ball of destructive energy. It crashed through at least 20 of the drones, destroying and disabling many.  
  
"I'll terminate it." Zero fired off another charge plasma shot, this time it was blue. It smashed through another score of drones, freezing them in place. The red warrior activated his dash system and bursted upon the menace like a bird of prey amongst rodents.  
  
He raised his beam saber and slashed through the midriff of the nearest X Drone, cleanly severing it at the waist. Bringing his weapon around, he drove it through another drone as he dashed through another pack. After he cleaned out a large swathe of broken and battered drones, he charged up his plasma cannon to the max.  
  
"This is for you, X," Zero murmured as more and more energy poured into his cannon arm. "And for Ciel." More and more dumb drones gathered around the veteran warrior.  
  
He released the over-charged blast that was stored. A great blast of fiery red, shocking yellow, and icy blue emerged from the mouth of the cannon. The shot broke off into three different directions, each destroying and demolishing a wide path through the final guard of Copy X. Finally, the dust settled.  
  
Shutting off his beam saber, Zero quietly spoke into the wind. "Rest peacefullly, X. You will return in time for the fireworks." Zero began stripping the bodies of the drones for their energy capsule packs. Energeon was rare before his arrival and Zero was going to need every single one he could find in order to carry on his lonely crusade.  
  
"You won't be disappointed, X." The Red Warrior murmured as he walked off, heading for the outskirts of Neo-Arcadia rather than to the Resistance Base.  
  
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Whoo-hoo! I just did this all in less than 1 hour! Whoo-hoo! Now where's me mug of Mocha Latte Coffe from Starbucks?  
  
Sairn: It's next to your mouse, dummy.  
  
SHUT UP!! *slurp swallow gulp* Delicious!  
  
Sairn:Oh, well. See dat liddle button down der? *points at the "Submit" button* Review!  
  
(^_^) Good liddle muse!  
  
Sairn: He's on a caffeine high... (O_O;) Not good for me...  
  
(_) ARGH! MY ESSAY ON "Dante's Hell"! I NEED TO FINISH IT!! ARGH!!  
  
Sairn: Bye-bye... 


	2. Chapter 2: The Return of the Legend

This is based loosely on the events of MMZ and MMZ2 so in no way do I own anything that belongs to Capcom. I only own the games and the comic books. Yep, I got the comic books. They're in Chinese though and I had them for at least thirteen years. Dang, I gotta get the new ones...  
  
Official Disclaimer: In no way do I, Kingkazul400, own anything by Capcom that is related to Megaman. The only thing I'll probably own from Capcom is probably their games and probably their stock in the future.  
  
Important Note: This takes place after MMZ so many of you will be confused. MMZ2 is when it'll be mostly written about.  
  
Sairn: I'm the muse and you'll never see me in these cruddy Megaman fics of his!  
  
Don't make me hurt you, ya liddle stupid muse!  
  
Sairn: Who ya callin' liddle?  
  
Look who's talking! I'm talled than you by at least a foot!  
  
Sairn: Drat...  
  
~~~~~  
  
Chapter 2: The Return of the Legend  
  
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Ciel bent over to study a part of her computer screen. More and more incomprehensible data was collected together in a hodge-podge onto her screen yet she was able to decipher it completely and correctly. All within a few seconds.  
  
"And that should do it," she murmured as she finished typing and correcting a few data files. Her new energy source, which is currently unnamed, was to be the replacement of the age old energy known as Energeon.  
  
Energeon had been around for almost the same length of time as the legend of the original Mega Man had been around. Entire wars had been fought by man and Reploids just for the pure blue energy crystals. Ciel had correctly deciphered why Neo-Arcadia were cracking down harder on so-called "Mavericks", or Reploids that had broken the basic "Laws of Robotics."  
  
Those corporate geezers were intent only on keeping most or all of the Energeon that could be synthesized from the dwindling resources for only the humans. It was such a small wonder why many Reploids spoke out and were quickly "retired".  
  
Leaning back in her swivel chair, the blonde haired scientist stared at the ceiling. Many thoughts and experiments spun through her highly trained brain. But there was one that was sticking out like a Maverick in the depths of Neo-Arcadia.  
  
Zero, the Legendary Red Warrior.  
  
Giving a heavy sigh, Dr. Ciel got up and reached for the beverage machine. Pressing the code for a cup of coffee, her thoughts still remained around the Reploid who had saved her.  
  
It was almost a year since the Red Warrior was last seen leaving the Transerver. Small reports from other guerilla factions had let Ciel know where the general whereabouts of Zero had been seen.  
  
She had joined her fellow Reploid Resistance guerillas to find the hidden underground laboratory where ancient documents had pinpointed the last site where Zero was rumored to be last seen. They had tried before to break through the thick wall of X-Drones to get there but it was worth it.  
  
Almost worth all the lives of the guerillas.  
  
Ciel's coffee was done and she picked up the hot liquid. Blowly gently to cool it down somewhat, the scientist's mind continued to dance from Zero to the new energy source.  
  
Why had Zero leave them after he had toppled Copy X from his digital throne? Why? The answers, all ranging from the logical to the ludicrous, all pointed at one thing.  
  
Zero was on a journey.  
  
Ciel's mind then jumped to the correct conclusion. How could she miss it? How could she not know of it earlier?  
  
Zero was on a journey to rediscover who he truly was.  
  
Ciel's gloved hands dropped her coffee as she jumped at the loud emergency claxon. Moving quickly next to the door, she heard a knock.  
  
"Who is it?" she said in her cautious manner. Her hand strayed to the Stun Blaster at her belt.  
  
Zero had given it to her before he left for Neo-Arcadia...  
  
"It's me, Morris, miss Ciel!" a male voice replied nonchalantly. "Sorry about the claxon going off earlier. Elpizo was a little excited when the techs finished installing it. You know how the new commander is like." Ciel grinned at the mentioning of the new commander.  
  
"Well, tell Elpizo that he's going to lose his new job if he doesn't keep a certain scientist in the base from jumping at every single thing he does." Ciel replied as her hands pressed against her hips in a sassy attitude.  
  
"Yes ma'am!" Morris said. Faint footsteps were heard as Ciel grinned. Morris was a recent addition to the Resistance and the new fellows were usually scared and shy. Morris was one of the few exceptions.  
  
Turning her mind back to the research at hand, Ciel slip into her chair and continued typing.  
  
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Dust and sand layed about Zero as he struggled against the strong wind. The burlap cloak wrapped around him provided some cover against the abrasive matter. While most parts of the Red Warrior was still in fine condition, the rest of him was below optimal.  
  
It had been almost a year since he, Zero, had chose to take a different path from Ciel. He still fights against Neo-Arcadia but these battles have lost meaning for him. Zero knows that to find his purpose, he should find Ciel and the Reploid Resistance. Somehow.  
  
"Darn sand, darn desert, darn..." Zero muttered more and more "colorful language" that Ciel once commented. The radar system on his helmet then picked up more life signs. Lots of them.  
  
"... darn drones." He finished softly as he glanced behind him. X Drones, possibly the Alpha variety, were catching up with him. The sandstorm slowly abatted while Zero struggled to move ahead.  
  
The X Drones had been tailing the Red Warrior ever since he blew apart Copy X almost a year ago. The final command from their leader was burned into their circuitry ever since the pirated version of his friend had fallen.  
  
Many different types of X Drones had tailed him since. The primary type, though, was the Alpha Type. These gun-toting bastards had been fighting against Zero ever since he was released from hibernation mode. These fellows had marksmanship that were better than X's and almost equaled Zero's own skill.  
  
"Target sighted," the lead drone emitted in its monotone voice. Zero wished he could just run but he must fight. "Target to be retired. All battle platoons attack."  
  
Zero threw away his cloak and glared harshly at the rapidly advancing Alpha Types.  
  
Charging his Z-Cannon, he muttered, "Let's go..."  
  
He dashed for cover as the firing began. More and more yellow plasma blasts struck around him as he took refuge behind a wall. Firing the fully charge plasma blast, he brought out his Z-Saber. The green plasma saber was still intact yet pieces of circuitry were beginning to poke out from beneath missing metal plates.  
  
"Yaaaaaaaaaaah!" Zero bellowed as he came out of the cover and slashed somewhat haphazadly. His skill was still sharp but this maneuver was most effective against whole hoards of X Drones. Many Alpha Types were quickly cut down but more and more replaced them.  
  
"This is insanity!" Zero yelled as realization struck him. There was no way that he is going to be able to topple all the remaining X Drones with only half the energy he had when he emerged from hibernation. It was time to do something he had done many times already.  
  
It was time to haul ass.  
  
"Take this, you stupid piece of metal!" Zero yelled as he bum rushed a small squad of X Drones. The leader of the squad raised his cannon to aim and fire but Zero's saber took care of him. The green plasma saber swept cleanly through the drone's midriff, severing it in half.  
  
"Target... sighted. Command: ... Destroy... Target." The leader droned in a halting manner while Zero cleaned off the rest of the squad. The red eye on the head dimmed as the power source was quickly expended. Preventing termination can greatly drain one's power source, Zero had learned many years ago.  
  
When he finally dusted off the remaining platoon, he sighted more and more drones on his staticky radar. Judging from the noise being generated and the energy waves compared to others on his data files, the other types of X Drones were coming.  
  
Zero gathered up more Energeon crystals as he hurried to leave. A long-time wound on his leg caused him to stumble a little as he tried to hasten away from the source. He tripped and fell face first, a little ahead of a building.  
  
"Curses..." Zero muttered when he got up and saw a Alpha, a Beta, and Gamma type aiming their crosshairs at him. Zero felt a loud rumble behind him and he glanced at it. A large vice blasted out of it and he immediately dropped to the ground. The three X Drones fired at the vice but the blasts were knocked aside. The crunching of metal piercing metal was all that Zero heard while he crawled away from the quickly collapsing building.  
  
The building was finally knocked over and a large scorpion-like drone revealed itself. The vise swept back to the area where the jaws would have been. The eyes flashed yellow as it scanned Zero and promptly chased the Red Warrior.  
  
"Out of the frying pan," Zero yelled as he dodged several blasts of plasma energy. "And into the fire!"  
  
The beam saber was now exclusively useless. The vise would snap together if Zero stayed in one place too long. He had better move fast.  
  
"Target acquired," said the monotone voice on the scorpion drone. "Locking onto target. Launch Stinger." Zero had barely enough time to dodge the big stinger on the tail of the mechanical beast. It pierced through the ground and the behemoth struggled to rip it out of the earth.  
  
Zero continued to dodge the beast in a such manner until he suddenly tripped, thanks to his leg wound. Gnashing his teeth in pain, Zero knew what was next. The vice was coming at him.  
  
By mere chance, his energy suddenly jumped up and he too jumped, just barely inched high enough to dodge the vice edge. The cannons were attached to the magnetic vice and they were only pointed in one direct. Seizing this extremely lucky chance, Zero brought out his Z-Saber and leaped onto the beast's head.  
  
"My target," Zero yelled as he poured much of his energy into his saber. "Is acquired!" He plunged the blade deep into the scorpion drone's main circuitry. A great blast of energy knocked Zero off into the air, his beam saber deactivated.  
  
Landing hard onto the packed desert ground, Zero tried to get up but he layed supine on the ground. His chest heaved up and down as he struggled to get back up. The scorpion beast was no more but he may be no more.  
  
The sky was so blue and so beautiful...  
  
"Somehow, I-- I did it." Zero said as he stared at the desert sky. "But... It... It cost me everything..."  
  
The crystal on Zero's head flashed briefly as he passed out. The desert storm picked up again, this time slowly. A great wave of sand nearly covered him before a new arrival dropped in.  
  
A green Reploid just mere inches taller than Zero landed onto the coarse ground next to the unconscious Reploid. Kicking the supine form of the Red Warrior, the green Reploid smirked.  
  
"Hm..." said the green Reploid. "Zero... To live or die? Hm..."  
  
The sandstorm continued to roar around the two.  
  
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Sairn: I still say these fics suck!  
  
Well that's just your opinion you stupid liddle muse!  
  
Sairn: I'm gonna ram a Z-Saber up yer rear if you don't shut up!  
  
I'm gonna kill you! *grabs a spare Z-Cannon and blows Sairn apart*  
  
Sairn: *cough cough* Pansy...  
  
(^_^) Who cares! I won!  
  
Sairn: If you readers want to keep me alive, don't review!  
  
*stomps on his 5' 2" muse* SHUT UP! Just read and review! 


	3. Chapter 3: The New Resistance Base

This is based loosely on the events of MMZ and MMZ2 so in no way do I own anything that belongs to Capcom. I only own the games and the comic books. Yep, I got the comic books. They're in Chinese though and I had them for at least thirteen years. Dang, I gotta get the new ones...  
  
Official Disclaimer: In no way do I, Kingkazul400, own anything by Capcom that is related to Megaman. The only thing I'll probably own from Capcom is probably their games and probably their stock in the future.  
  
Important Note: This takes place after MMZ so many of you will be confused. MMZ2 is when it'll be mostly written about.  
  
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Chapter 3: The New Resistance Base  
  
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Elpizo, the new commander of the Reploid Resistance, could hardly contain his glee. The red robed Reploid with a red and white cap stood on an elevated platform with two Transerver Operators near him. Before him, a vast congregation of the Elite Resisters awaited his orders and his speeches. Waiting until the throng began to become silent, Elpizo leaned against the rail.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen of the Reploid Resistance!" the commander started. "Thanks to your great efforts, it gives me great pleasure to announce the completion of this new Resistance base!"  
  
The throng of the Elite Resisters before him cheered. A warm feeling, the kind that's joyful, surged through Elpizo's systems. Taking in a small breathe he continued.  
  
"I thank you all for accepting me as the commander of this new base! I promise to bring about a new era of peace." Elpizo continued. He then gestured at Dr. Ciel. "Please thank her and her wise decision!"  
  
"Hooray!" a blonde Reploid cried.  
  
"Yah!" yelled another.  
  
"Victory!" bellowed a dark-haired one.  
  
"For peace!" a rather chubby Reploid thundered.  
  
"Yah!" yelled the rest of the assembled Reploids.  
  
Elpizo couldn't believe his audio systems. This speech, which he had considered scrapping and making it more complicated, was just what he needed to raise his popularity. He gave a weak chuckled as he waved his hands at the crowd.  
  
"For now, we lie quiet like the snake in the grass," he yelled over the ruckus the Elite Resisters were causing. "When we strike, we'll destroy much if we don't annihilate them outright!"  
  
All the Reploids raised their right arms and yelled. "Long live the Resistance!"  
  
After a few more minutes of this chaos in the enormous room, the soldiers returned to their posts, still chatting about the future.  
  
Elpizo leaned against the railing with his back. With his eyes closed, the new commander sighed.  
  
(I just hope that we can succeed.) Elpizo thought. His audio and sensory systems then detected a new arrival. Opening his eyes, he immediately identified the new arrival.  
  
"Ha ha ha..." Elpizo weakly chuckled as Doctor Ciel finished climbing the stairs to the Operators' Deck. "I'm still a little embarrassed when I think about being a commander..."  
  
Ciel gave a look of mock horror at the somewhat embarrassed Reploid. "It's not just my decision," the blonde-haired scientist retorted. "It's the entire Resistance's decision!" Elpizo gave another weak laugh.  
  
"Are you sure about this?" he continued as he traced the etchings on his Beam Saber on the side of his waist. "Trusting our fate to a Reploid like me...?"  
  
Ms. Ciel crossed her arms as she nodded her red and white helmeted head. "Absolutely," she said. "It was you who organized us to fight against Neo Arcadia, when we were barely able to escape from there..." The new commander blushed.  
  
"I'm flattered," Elpizo stammered as he shook his head. "But, you helped me all along. You know how unreliable I am with you, Ciel."  
  
Doctor Ciel glared at the red cloaked Reploid. "You just keep in mind..." she said with a hardened edge in her tone. "... That we had to organize a resistance force in order to defend ourselves..."  
  
Elpizo raised his white gloved hands in mock surrender. "Yes, I will remember that. And now we are buying time for you to complete your research."  
  
Ciel looked sideways at Elpizo. How the heck did he know that she was doing research? Must be Morris...  
  
"Still, since X hasn't been resurrected yet," the new Reploid commander continued. "We couldn't ask for a better opportunity than now. Please, allow me to carry out my operation."  
  
Elpizo clasped his mechanical hands around the scientist's. Ciel looked doubtfully into those orange eyes. Those eyes shone with a fire that even Ciel with all the water in the world couldn't quench. But one major factor in her underlying psyche made her give in.  
  
She had like Reploids ever since she learned about their internal structure in high school. But just merely less than a year ago, there was one Reploid that made her burn with a fire within her.  
  
But now, there was a hole that ached within her heart that she wished to fix just like she could with a Reploid's wound. But this wound, this hole in her heart, she could only heal with only one thing.  
  
"... ... ..." Ciel continued to look into those begging eyes. "All right..." Elpizo immediately released her hands and he jumped into the air, giving a great whoop. Both operators glared at the joyous commander through their scanners, quelling much of Elpizo's excitement.  
  
"But promise me one thing!" Ciel immediately said before Elpizo nearly jumped off the platform. He turned around to look at her. "Do not be too strict."  
  
Elpizo rolled his eyes. "You have my..."  
  
But he was immediately cut off. The door to their right quickly slid open and a sentry covered in sand ran in, puffing. The sentry ignored the look that Elpizo was giving him and gave his report. It was Morris!  
  
"Excuse me, sir!" Morris saluted. "It's about Zero. He was found lying unconscious..."  
  
"What? Zero?!" Ciel cut right in as she immediately ran down the stairs. Elpizo gave a glare of hatred worthy for humans.  
  
"Just outside the base, ma'am!" Morris replied. Seeing that Ciel was running past him, the sentry immediately followed. "This way!"  
  
Elpizo sighed as he walked down the stairs. He was going to give something special to Ms. Ciel but that damned sentry just had to burst in. His sensors then immediately called for him to jump back. He jumped back and was caught in the tailwind of several other soldiers who overheard the conversation.  
  
"Zero! Zero!" the soldiers yelled as they exited the room. Several were armed with their plasma rifles. They had been shirking sentry duty...  
  
Elpizo's eyebrows furrowed and twitched. A look of malice appeared on the normally joyous Reploid.  
  
"Zero..."  
  
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In the Maintenance Room...  
  
Several soldiers along with Morris and Ms. Ciel managed to lift the unconscious Zero onto the Rejuvenation Machine that the Resistance managed to pilfer from Neo Arcadian warehouses. Their lead scientist, Cerveau, just below Ciel, plugged the Red Warrior into the machine. The plastic top was lowered by Ciel on top of Zero's head.  
  
"You guys can go now," Ciel said as she looked at the helpless sentries. "Cerveau and I can handle the rest."  
  
"Whatever you say, Ms. Ciel," Morris replied. The green clad Reploid turned around.  
  
"Fall in!" he commanded. The rest formed a single file with rifles before them. "Forward!" The lead Reploid lowered his plasma rifle as if to skewer a X Drone with it. "MARCH!"  
  
As the sentries filed out, Morris gave one last look at his hero. If only he wasn't on sentry duty, he'd help Ms. Ciel and Cerveau out and expediate Zero's recovery.  
  
Flipping several switches, Cerveau watched carefully as a schematics unit started giving the life sign signals for Zero. All the bars immediately maxed out into the red zone, alarming Cerveau. But they quickly lowered themselves back to the yellow, still in safety yet so close to danger.  
  
"Let's quickly fix his basic structure," Cerveau suggested as he pointed at the schematics diagram. Ciel nodded her head.  
  
They both opened a nearby cabinet full of tools. Both scientists quickly pulled out wire seperators, plasma wielders, oil, and other things required to fix a Reploid. They then made sure that Zero was hooked up to a large unit full of Energeon, the lifeblood of Reploids.  
  
Cerveau tackled the upper-body structure while Ciel managed with the lower parts. Removing the easily repaired armor plating around Zero was simple but the challenged Ciel loved to deal with was another story. Zero hadn't gone under maintenance for a year and a great deal of grit and sand had accumulated with the Red Warrior's lower locamotion systems and his acceleration systems.  
  
"Look what I found!" Cerveau exclaimed as he held up something. Ciel looked at it and gave a small gasp.  
  
It was a small round object that was black. To Cerveau, it was noting more than a piece of garbage but to Ciel, it was a possible link to Zero's past. Cerveau gave it a cursory glance and then tossed it onto a nearby crate.  
  
"I think it's best to keep it," Ciel carefully said as she continued to look at the black ball. "It might reveal something."  
  
"Like what?" Cerveau grunted as he wielded a small buster blast wound on Zero's chest.  
  
"It might be of Zero's past..." Cerveau stopped briefly and looked at Ciel.  
  
"You know," the Reploid Scientist slowly said. "You just might be right..."  
  
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Bright lights shone around Zero as he laid on the ground, weak and tired. He felt disconnected as if his upper body was severed from his lower half. He knew that his left arm, his secondary buster weapon, was definitely severed for he cannot feel it moving. Rolling his head to the right, Zero saw the awful carnage his friend did to his foe.  
  
"X..." Zero said in a broken tone. "Where's Vile?"  
  
The Blue Reploid jabbed behind him with his right thumb. "He's finished."  
  
A great heap of metal was what remained of Sigma's right hand man. The underling Reploid's head was still intact but it was most definitely deactivated. Looking into those deactivated eyes, Zero was satisfied.  
  
Zero slowly moved his head back to a more comfortable position. He then lurched upward and coughed into his remaining right hand. Looking at his hand, Zero fell back onto the ground. His life, his very essence, his fusion engine coolant was departing from his systems. He shut his eyes and he felt X cradle his head. He opened his right eye and gave a small grin.  
  
"You've grown very strong, X..." Zero slowly said. X's eyes didn't have tears since Reploids weren't human but Zero could tell that X was crying inside. Zero then looked back at the dark ceiling.  
  
"But Signma seems to have unimaginable power..." Zero continued as his focus of the ceiling starting dimming slowly. His internal systems were slowly working against the damage within him. Zero coughed up more of his vital essence.  
  
"I'm done, I've fought... there's only one of us left... only you, X..."  
  
"No Zero! I can't fight Sigma alone!" X broke down as Zero's left optical system shut down.  
  
Zero looked at X and then raised his right arm. He silently commanded his body to disassemble the Buster Upgrade part. He felt it fall off of his arm.  
  
"Take my Buster Part with you..." said Zero. "It'll increase the power of your Buster..." X picked it up and just held it in his arms.  
  
Zero gave a small grin. "Of course, I don't know if you can take the recoil of the thing or not..." X looked at him and gave a faint nod.  
  
Zero felt more of his systems shutting down. His engine was slowly and slowly coming to a stop like a windmill. Each slow moment seemed elongated like a piece of taffy stretched. So painful...  
  
"See ya... X..." Zero faintly said.  
  
The darkness within him was welcoming him. X was slowly fading out of his vision.  
  
"My last... wish..."  
  
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~~~~~~~~  
  
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Cerveau continued to watch the schematics display next to Zero's inert form. For the last five hours, both he and Ms. Ciel had labored on the structure of Zero. The Rejuvenation Machine handled the major damages quickly after both scientists fixed the smaller problems.  
  
Ms. Ciel, being a human, decided to quit for the night after they finished working on Zero's structure. She had just left minutes ago, yawning and stretching. Cerveau saw something that would arouse a human but being a Reploid, he ignored the once in a lifetime visual of Ciel's posterior torso region.  
  
Looking through his visual optical enhancements, Cerveau noticed little change as the machine updated on the progress of Zero's recovery. The first bar on the left indicated the overall damage on Zero, which was slowly dropping. The second bar in the middle indicated the internal damage and it was rapidly descending. The final bar on the right was the indicator for Zero's external damage and it too was falling rapidly.  
  
The Reploid Scientist continued his silent guard over his patient.  
  
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Ms. Ciel trudged down the long metal tunnel to her quarters. In her right hand was the mystery black object they found in Zero's body while in her left was a great mug of coffee. A small tendril of steam arose from the small gap in the cup.  
  
As she dragged her tired feet along to her room, the blonde human Reploid Scientist's thoughts drifted from the daily happenings that Elpizo couldn't handle to something that just recently happened. Only just merely five hours ago, Morris and his Scout Patrol found and recovered Zero's unconscious body.  
  
Ciel abruptly stopped and leaned her head against the cold steel wall. Only merely a year ago had she had emotions toward someone special. She had thought that he had left her for good. Ciel turned her back against the wall and slowly slid down until she was sitting against it. Closing her eyes, a lone tear rolled down her cheek.  
  
(He's back,) Ciel thought as she dropped her mug and the black object onto the chilling cold steel floor. (It's been so long, Zero. But is there still a fire within you for me?)  
  
Bringing her legs close to her, Ciel placed her head on her knees. It had been so long since that fire within her had been kindled for a person of the opposite sex. But for a Reploid? It was unheard of.  
  
(Wait a minute,) a little voice in Ciel's mind spoke. (What about Andrew and his lover? They most certainly got along.)  
  
(But that was ages ago!) Ciel protested. (That was when the original X was still around and in charge! Zero and I, we cannot show out feelings for each other!)  
  
(Ciel, you and Zero are of the Resistance,) the small voice gently said. (Since members of the Resistance are labeled are misanthropes of society, committing yourself to a Reploid would most definitely show that you are still of the Resistance.)  
  
Ciel silently sat there against the cold wall. That voice was right. She may be human and Zero may be a Reploid but that is nothing when it comes to the matter of love. If it had been done before, then surely she and Zero can do so.  
  
(Thanks,) Ciel thought to that little voice. (For everything.)  
  
(Don't mention it, Ciel.) it replied in a happy sort of way.  
  
Dr. Ciel of the Resistance slowly gathered the black object and her mug of coffee and stood up. She might not be able to speak to Zero right now, but this little thing might be able to tell much of his past. She turned it over and over as she walked down to her lab/room.  
  
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~~~~~~~~  
  
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Zero found himself dashing madly along the battered and blasted interior of what laid of Sigma's second fortress. While the last one was a floating keep, this one was located on the Antartic and Zero swore that the only thing keeping him from freezing is his fusion engine's heat.  
  
He had just been "resurrected" by Dr. Cain merely moments ago. The old doctor was actually rushing Zero to the field of battle to assist X in defeating the remnants of Sigma's followers and his icy palace.  
  
Firing a series of plasma bursts into a small pack of drones, Zero shook the smoking Buster on his arm. X had just plowed on right through, which Zero once did a while ago, and now he's doing the mopping up.  
  
Zero grinned as another annoying drone popped out of a small trapdoor. Bringing out his Z-Saber, Zero split the drone into eight miniscule pieces of circuits and scrap metal. If he knew X well, Zero wouldn't be needed to help him. But friends cover each other's back dearly.  
  
Dashing and firing continuously at the hoard of extremely weak drones, Zero managed to find the door which he knew that X and Sigma were behind. After all, X was the only Hunter who was capable of handling many different weapons with grace and ease yet with such savage power. A nearby body of a drone gave Zero the proof he needed. The head was severed cleanly by fire (Speed Burner), the arms frozen by ice (Crystal Hunter), the torso littered with plasma holes (X-Buster), and the legs shattered by explosives (either Silk Shot or Magnet Mine).  
  
Satisfied that there weren't going to be anymore annoying drones, Zero's audio sensors tuned into the voices behind the door.  
  
"It's been a while, eh, X?" Zero heard the malicious tone of Sigma. "We've been waiting for this day."  
  
"This day for what, Sigma?" X's straighforward tone sliced into Sigma's little oration. "The day when I eliminate you permanently?"  
  
"No, X," Sigma laughed as Zero heard the tell-tale humming of X charging up his Buster. "It's for your apology to your friend. Oh, should I say MY friend." Zero heard something beam in and then the cry of fear from X.  
  
"Zero?! Is it really you?" X gasped. The hum of his Buster charging up halted.  
  
"Let me introduce him," said Sigma in a sly tone. "He is my new partner. Or should I say my new comrade."  
  
"This isn't... he can't have..." X muttered furiously as Zero heard more and more energy being charged. "Impossible..."  
  
"You both were comrades in the old days, before he began to fight as freely as he wished," Sigma continued. "And now, I do believe you'll have to pay the price."  
  
"Zero..." said X, full of longing and hope. "Please... snap out of it!" A blast of plasma was heard exiting a Buster weapon and Zero heard the cry of pain from X.  
  
The real Zero couldn't take it anymore of this mental torture. How dare Sigma create a renegade copy of him! Zero will tear that stupid Reploid piece by piece and circuit by circuit to make that corrupted Reploid suffer the same pain that he had suffered years ago. Zero then charged both his Busters up to the max and stood in front of the door.  
  
"I'm coming, X!" he yelled as he fired the first bolt of plasma. A purple blast of plasma exited his right Buster, blasting the door apart. The second, a great green bolt of energy, passed through the great gap in the door and smashed into the astonished Dark Zero. Dashing through the opening, Zero brought out his Z-Saber and swung it furiously at the rapidly dodging Sigma.  
  
"Sigma!" Zero yelled as he continued his onslaught, which was thankfully well aimed. "You should have studied the blueprints closer!" Sigma grinned as he pulled out his own beam saber to counter the blows.  
  
"And why should I?" the Maverick Reploid smirked. Zero swung his Z-Saber from overhead, forcing Sigma to step off to the side. Zero then aimed his left Buster on Sigma. Great globs of red and purple energy started to circulate around the tip of the plasma weapon.  
  
"There is only one Zero!" Zero yelled. He released the pent up energy, unleashing a great wave of green and blue plasma. It flew straight and true and struck a surprised Sigma in the stomach. The Maverick Reploid doubled over and grabbed his stomach.  
  
"Why you..." Sigma cursed as electricity crackled across his body.  
  
Looking up from the ground, Sigma smirked once again. "Zero! Why haven't you turned to my side?" Sigma asked with a questioning edge.  
  
Zero charged both his Busters slowly. Seeing Sigma down and flinching at the energy coursing across his body was a welcome sight to Zero.  
  
"Why should I turn over to your side?" Zero said slowly as he smiled. Taking one small step forward, Zero slowly raised both Busters at Sigma's head. "You've fallen, Sigma."  
  
"Your true enemy shouldn't be me!" Sigma cried as the pain in his fusion engine greatly increased. Doubling up in pain, Sigma swore.  
  
"No matter, Sigma," Zero said offhandedly as he decided on which form of execution his former commander should suffer. "Maybe you are right but even so, I still hate you!"  
  
"Damn!" Before Zero could eliminate his former commander, Sigma reached for his emergency escape teleporter and exited the complex.  
  
Sheathing his saber, Zero slowly released the pent up energy back to the surrounding which he drew from. Looking about, he found X lying on the ground, staring in wonder at him.  
  
"How's it going, X?" Zero asked as he helped the Blue Legend up. A faint grin appeared on his shorter comrade. Zero dug out an Emergency Energy Tank and attached it to the X's left arm.  
  
"Zero..." replied X. The energy from the tank was quickly repairing much of the Blue Legend's damages. "I'd thought you be here sooner..."  
  
"I got held up," said Zero as he pointed his thumb through the door he blasted through. "I say, X, you really got to work on your technique."  
  
"Why so? Is it really that bad?"  
  
"Nah, you've just got to make sure that you eliminate all the easy drones and leave the hard ones for me." They both gave in for a moment of laughter. After the tank was depleted of its energy, Zero's face became solemn.  
  
"I kept you waiting, didn't I, X?" said Zero as X tossed aside the energy tank. "But the pleasantries will have to wait. What we need to do now is to defeat Sigma!"  
  
"But how? He's stronger than last time!" Zero's face took on the look of concentration. His forhead wrinkled as X continued to stare at a hole.  
  
"I'll destroy the base's Main Computer," Zero slowly said after X began to pry about the room.  
  
"X!" The Blue Legend looked at his friend. "You chase after Sigma!"  
  
Reaching for his Z-Saber, Zero took one last look at the great Main Computer before him. Holding it where the point is toward the sky, Zero swung it back over his shoulder and brought it back down in the classic axeman's swing. The green blade bit deeply into the core of the computer, shutting down many programs that Sigma had been running. Zero then swung his saber off to the side and swung it to the other side, making a cross in the Main Computer. Charging up his Dual Busters, Zero unleashed a series of blue, green and purple plasma beams. The metal plating on the Main Computer unit quickly gave way and it soon collapsed into a heap of scrap metal. But it didn't just stop there. Peering at the heap, X decided to strike it with his own blast of plasma.  
  
The heap of scrap was knocked aside and Zero gave an excited gasp. "Here, X! Sigma's true form is in that last room!" He gave one nod to X. X then took a running leap into the hole.  
  
Rummaging through the heap of destruction, Zero found a backup copy of the data from the Main Computer and started downloading it onto a disk. Numbers, letters, dates and a barrage of other data assaulted his memory files. By the time he gets done with this batch of crap, X will probably have kicked Sigma's ass so hard that even a virus's return will be a miracle.  
  
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Ha ha ha! I'm finally done with this GREAT HUMONGOUS CHAPTER!!! MWAHA HA HA!!  
  
Sairn: (^_^;) I think he's finally cracked...  
  
Mwa ha ha! *grabs Sairn by the neck* You shall suffer my WRATH!!  
  
Sairn: (O_O!) AGH! 'Elp! SAVE ME!!  
  
REVIEW OR HE DIES!!! MWA HA HA!!! 


	4. Chapter 4: Nightmare of the Legend

Chapter 4: The Nightmare of the Legend  
  
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If Cerveau was human, then he'd be downing at least ten cups of hot mocha-java coffee with caramel mixed in. The Reploid scientist was still keeping his steady watch over his patient. Looking through his visors, Cerveau was heartened that the damage that Zero suffered for the past year was almost erased. The first two bars indicating total and external damage were completely gone. But the last bar indicating internal damage was still relatively minimal yet it was at least 5%.  
  
"Five percent..." Cerveau muttered as he pulled out a scanner. Waving the metal rod over Zero's body, Cerveau carefully observed the mini-screen. So far, all signs were well.  
  
Hearing the chime of the door, Cerveau called out. "Come in." He continued to search for the mysterious internal damage.  
  
"Is he awake yet, Cerveau?" said Ciel as she yawned. The haggard look on her face showed that human scientist barely got any sleep the night before.  
  
Already, the signs of cracking were beginning to show. Her hair, normally neatly tucked beneathe her red helmet, was askew and her helmet was tucked under her arm. Her clothing appeared wrinkled as if she slept in them. But her eyes, those bright blue eyes, were a little dimmed and were surrounded by pits of darkness.  
  
She looked at Zero. The Red Savior was lying down on his back, his arms placed neatly parallel to his legs and his helmet was on. The onyx crystal on Zero's helmet flashed a strange emblem every so often but she finally got used to it after a while. It is not unusual for Reploids like Zero's age to have those emblems. If the ancient reports were right, those crystals were used to represent who was the master or the owner of that certain Reploid. But who in the past had the initial "W"?  
  
"He's not awake yet," Cerveau replied without taking his eyes off of his scanner. "I estimate that we successfully repaired ninety-five percent of his body."  
  
"That's good news," Ciel managed to say as she stifled a yawn.  
  
"No, that's not good," said Cerveau as he moved his scanner over Zero's torso. "There's still five percent damage and it's internal. I haven't isolated the exact region where it is lying but I'm pretty sure it's in the torso region."  
  
"Isn't that where you dug out that black sphere?"  
  
"I believe that the black sphere may have accounted for Zero's damages. However, I'm sure that the damages that Zero suffered will be quickly eliminated. I guess he'll be awake in a few hours."  
  
"Is he going to remember anything before he got here?"  
  
"I don't know. It might be chancy but I guess that since his circuits are intact, he might be able to recall most of what he did while he was... well, gone."  
  
Looking over at Ms. Ciel, Cerveau gestured at the prone Zero. "Ever since he fought Copy X and his cohorts, Zero has sustained damage that almost the entire Resistance has never encountered. Do you remember those Golems from a year ago?"  
  
Ciel nodded her head. "Those things had a ion blast that could tear circuits apart faster than our Elite Resisters. We obtained that Ion Laser when Zero made scrap metal out of several of them when they attacked the base last year," replied Ciel.  
  
"Do we still have it?" Cerveau hopefully said. "I need it for a weapon I'm repairing. His Z-Buster is not functioning properly and I hope to improve upon its design."  
  
"I'll tell Morris to send it to you," said Ciel. The scientist took one last look at Zero. Looking at the sleeping Reploid, Ciel felt that strange and unfamiliar warm feeling surging in her heart. Her eyes softened and she stepped next to the glass that was shielding Zero's body. Cerveau took one look at Ciel. The Reploid Scientist needed no words to figure out what Ciel wanted.  
  
"I'll be in Supplies when you need me." Cerveau then left the room.  
  
Ciel waited until the door quietly slid shut. When Cerveau's sharp and heavy steps were fading away, Ciel pulled up a nearby crate that Cerveau had an sat on it, directly next to Zero. Unsure of herself, Ciel placed one hand on Zero's right arm. Her hand gently slipped off Zero's battle glove and was surprised to feel skin as soft as Aloutte's. Yet it was still firm as a man's. She then placed the glove on her lap.  
  
"Zero... I've missed you," Ciel said as she placed the unconscious Reploid's palm on her cheek. Rubbing her soft cheek against Zero's firm skin, Ciel's mind spun wildly.  
  
(Is this it?) she asked her conscious. (Is this true love?)  
  
Silence answered her. Ciel waited and waited. But no reply. Brushing her blonde hair back, Ciel put Zero's hand back down. The glove remained in the scientist's lap.  
  
(Is it?) Ciel called out into the recesses of her mind. (Tell me please!)  
  
(Follow your heart, Ciel,) that familiar ethereal voice finally replied. (Follow your heart as you have always done so. It was your heart that led you to find Zero, it was your heart that sent me to resurect Zero, and it was your heart that led Zero to strike down Zero.)  
  
(Passy! Is that you!) Ciel replied mentally. (But... how?)  
  
(There is always a back-up copy of us, Ciel,) Passy the Cyberelf replied. (We always have a strong bond with whom we lend our services to. Part of me is with you and part of me is with Zero. It is not the fault of mine nor yours that led to my sacrifice. It was my heart that led me to bring us to freedom.)  
  
(Passy... why didn't you tell me before?)  
  
(... ... ... I never knew about this before. Why did it take a year for us to come back as memories of data files? I don't know why. But there is a way I can return. Open your Cyberelf data files on your Palm PC.)  
  
Ciel was confused by the request but she did what she was told. Opening the file labeled "Cyberelves", a small but faint shimmering light suddenly appeared on it. It appeared at first as a faded image of a nurse Cyberelf. It was Passy!  
  
"Can... understand... me..." the broken image of Passy spoke. "Can... speak... me..."  
  
"Passy!" Ciel exclaimed. She quickly realized that she just shouted and placed a hand over her mouth. "How'd you do that?" she said in a hushed tone.  
  
"Hold... please..." said Passy. She disappeared from the screen and a waiting message came up.  
  
A little bit of movement was sighted out of the corner of Ciel's eye. The ungloved hand twitched a little, the fingers clenching and unclenching spasmodically. Looking at Zero's helmet, the crystal was flashing more and more rapidly. Ciel quickly stood up, shutting the Palm PC and storing it away in her pocket. Zero's white glove got stuck on the corner of the unit and was also stuffed quickly into her pocket.  
  
"Zero?" Ciel gently asked as the Red Legend's head moved from side to side. "Are you alright?"  
  
A faint movement of Zero's lips moved. Ciel bent her head down and heard Zero mumble something.  
  
"Iris... no... don't... you can't... please don't... Iris... I... why... Sigma... pay... X... help... kill... revenge... Iris... die... must help... sorry... Colonel... sorry... General... sorry... Iris... live... or... die...?"  
  
Ciel shook her head sadly as she watched the obviously tortured Zero relive the worst memories of his entire life as a former Maverick Hunter. Now labeled as a Maverick himself by Neo-Arcadia, those nightmares are haunting him. As Ciel gently took hold of Zero's ungloved hand, the door slid open.  
  
"Ciel? My bio-sign indicator alerted me that Zero's suffering from something. What is it?" Cerveau asked as he hastily ran next to the schematics indicator. All the bars were low but both scientists knew what Zero must be undergoing.  
  
"His past..." Ciel said quietly as she stroked Zero's hand. "He's reliving his past life... as a Maverick Hunter..." A single teardrop fell from her eyes and splashed on their clasped hands.  
  
Cerveau looked at Ciel and sighed. "If he doesn't wake up soon, I'm afraid that we may lose him to the past. These ghosts of the past are haunting him. I'm afraid that we can't do much. All we can do is hope."  
  
Ciel looked as Cerveau through tears.  
  
"I hope so too..."  
  
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"Iris! Noooooooooooooo!!!" Zero yelled as slammed his titanium fists against the concrete walls that made up of the training arena in the Maverick HQ. His fists made a deep indentation into the concrete.  
  
The alarm had sounded merely moments ago for all Maverick Hunters to scramble to chase after the escaping Repliforce that was formerly led by Colonel, Iris's own brother. The alarm then sounded once more and the operator's voice sounded on the intercom again.  
  
"Maverick Hunter, Zero! Scramble orders to coordinates Alpha 25, Omega 41 are imminent! Must comply!" the woman said in a smooth but hard tone. Zero could tell that High Command gave her to give all of them the order of that could determine the path of Reploids and humans.  
  
"I'm on my way!" Zero yelled as he pressed the button on the intercom. When he released it, Zero activated his Dash Boots and muttered something to himself. "Don't do this to me, Iris..."  
  
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Zero buried his Z-Saber into the gut of a Repliforce drone and slashed upwards, destroying the command unit. As the dust of combat settled, Zero saw that nothing was blocking his way to a door. He had already arrived at the space port and luckily not a single spaceship had taken off yet. Most of his comrades had already seized the other smaller ships but this ship was his to tackle. He advanced slowly and warily towards the doors. He stopped before the door and his fingers were mere inches away from pressing the button to open it. Zero's hand grasped itself into a fist and shook with fear and fury. Finally, he punched the button.  
  
The door slid open Zero wasn't ready to see what was waiting for him. Iris was standing in the center of a spacious room with no other guards to defend her. Her eyes were shut but Zero could sense the anger and hate that she now harbors against him. But in her hands was a strange glowing purple orb which floated mere inches above her hands.  
  
"Iris!" Zero called to her as he slowly advanced, his saber deactivated and sheathed on his back. Iris's eyes flashed open and Zero saw that they were no longer the calm blue-green color. They were red with fury and anger.  
  
"So..." Iris slowly said as the purple orb continued to float in her hands. "You fought my brother... you should've died..."  
  
Zero kept his saber deactivated, wishing not avoid all harm. "Iris... I'm sorry... I couldn't stop him... he was... not himself..."  
  
"Then it's over." Iris said heavily as she noted the slouch in Zero's form. "Everything... is over... all that we have worked so hard for..." She shut her eyes once more and the orb began to slowly rise.  
  
"Wait, Iris!" Zero stepped closer to his former girlfriend. "Listen to me! Colonel told me that he..."  
  
Iris's eyes flashed open again and Zero halted speaking. The orb was directly above her and a strange golden substance was falling upon her.  
  
"Iris!" Zero tried to grab her but Iris knocked him aside.  
  
"Good bye, Zero..." Iris said as she raised her hands to meet the orb. The golden substance fell onto her body and a suit of flexible combat armor formed on her, with a crystal powering it from her chest. Two beam sabers activated from her hands and a demonic look appeared on Iris's face.  
  
"This is the end of what you've worked for..." a strange and completely wild Iris muttered to Zero. Zero had no choice but to draw and activate his weapon.  
  
It was either his life or Iris's life...  
  
Iris rushed at Zero, forcing the Red Reploid to dodge her strikes. Zero countered by slashing at Iris's back. His strike was true and Iris reeled back in pain.  
  
"You should pay dearly for that!" Iris yelled as she lunged once more at Zero. Zero didn't sidestep this in time and was locking weapons against Iris. Both beam weapons grinded against each other, each one seeking who could outpower the other. Zero managed to shove forward, knocking Iris back. He then charged forward and pulled off several combos.  
  
He began with a series of simple slashes which Iris dodged. But then he followed up with Raijingeki, a long ranged electrical skill. His first ten strikes mostly missed a very quick Iris but the rest managed to find his target. Electrical surges shot through Iris's system and forced her to collapse on the ground. Zero thought it was over but then Iris leapt back up and charged him once more.  
  
"For my brother!" she cried as she lunged with her sabers slashing at every direction.  
  
Zero let out a moan of pain and agony as each sharp projectile pierced his armor, forcing him back. As more and more holes appeared in him, Zero felt his energy begin to deplete. But a strange quiet power awoke in him. As another slash came at him, time seemed to slow down for the Crimson Warrior. He slowly brought his Z-Saber up to block it. He made contact and leapt back, surprising Iris. As he landed, Zero summoned an powerful force he had take from Cyber Peacock. Nine seperate energy orbs appeared about him and homed toward Iris. They all made hard contact with her and Iris flew back and struck the wall. She then slid down the wall and collapsed on the ground. Her strange suit of armor faded away in a flow of data and the Iris that Zero once knew reappeared.  
  
Zero collapsed onto his knees down on the ground also, his energy drained from using his "Rakuhouha" technique. What had made him do such a powerful move, he does not know. He would do it again if he were battling Sigma but Iris? That was an entirely different story. Zero struggled to get back onto his feet.  
  
"Zero..." Iris weakly called from the other side of the room. "Zero..."  
  
"Iris!" Zero yelled as he scrambled quickly. He slipped and got back up and knelt next to Iris. He picked up her battered body and held her head. "Iris..."  
  
"Zero..." said Iris as she looked into Zero's eyes. A bit of blood appeared on her lip and she coughed. She smiled weakly as Zero sought to find an apology.  
  
"Hang in there, Iris." Zero tried to make her more comfortable. Iris shook her head to his attempt.  
  
"Please..." she pleaded weakly. "Stay away from Repliforce... Let's live together in a world... where only Reploids exist." She looked beggingly into Zero's eyes.  
  
Zero stopped and stared into Iris's eyes. For as long as he had known her, Zero had wanted to be with her alone. He had wanted to get to know her personally without all the military protocol. He wanted to know the person underneathe the smile and the beret. But he wanted mostly to learn if she's also in love with him as he was with her. But are Reploids supposed to have these emotions?  
  
"Iris, there's not such worlds just for Reploids," Zero gently said as he cradled Iris's head. "It's only a fantasy."  
  
"Yes... I know..." Iris said as she reached up and stroked Zero's cheek. "But I wanted to believe it!" She then coughed up some more blood. "But I wanted to live in a world where only Reploids exist..."  
  
(Yes, so do I. But there's no such place for us. We are the discards of society, the people who live on the edge of infinity, the edge of uncertainty.)  
  
"With you..."  
  
"I wish to live in a world as you described, Iris. But I've sworn to defend the humans as a Maverick Hunter. If we could just... just run off together without anyone knowing... I wouldn't care what would happen to me... I'd rather fret my entire life about you." Zero leaned over and kissed Iris on the lips. "I never knew that you loved me secretly. But your brother..."  
  
"Hm... what about him?" Iris weakly said as she savored the kiss.  
  
"He... he told me to tell you that... that he died happily..." Zero shut his eyes to prevent tears from rolling down his cheeks. A battle hardened warrior should not be losing control of his emotions...  
  
Zero felt Iris wipe away the tears and another kiss alighted upon his lips. They kissed each other back, tasting and sensing the other Reploid. But soon, Iris was losing power, fast.  
  
"I can't believe that this is happening..." Iris faintly said as her visual sensors slowly began to fail. "This must be a dream..."  
  
"... ... ... ... ..." Zero wanted desperately to tell her it was all reality but his heart halted him from giving out such logic. He then placed his mouth next to her ears.  
  
"I... I love you..." Zero said shakily.  
  
"I love... you too..." Iris said weakly. She gave a shudder and looked at him with a smile. "Zero..." She exhaled and a she never gave another breathe.  
  
(This was impossible!) Zero mentally yelled. Emotions bounded through him. Hate, anger, rage, sadness, and many other emotions balled together roiled through his systems. He wanted revenge on who did this to them. They could have lived together peacefully as lovers rather than comrades. They could've done many things that humans considered normal for couples. But they weren't humans. They were Reploids, beings created for specific purposes.  
  
"Iris! Iris! Iris! Iris!" Zero screamed at the ceiling. He looked down at Iris's limp body. She was dead, dead as the drone he slew outside. Dead as Magma Dragoon, dead as Split Mushroom, dead as the other leaders of the Repliforce.  
  
Zero was still screaming Iris's name at the cold room. His head bowed forward, with tears streaming down. His shoulders slumped and he gently stroked the hair out of Iris's face. She was so beautiful to him, so elegant and refined, and so much the soul mate he was searching for all these years. He had wanted to quit the job as a killer of Reploids but who would he have spent the remainder of his days with?  
  
Looking at the still smiling form of Iris, Zero completely broke down. Gone was the look that could scare a thousand of Mavericks, gone was the demeanor that made him the Commander of the Stealth Platoon, gone were the days where Zero was once happy and joyful, and gone were the days he could've spent with Iris.  
  
"No..." Zero muttered to himself as he stood up with Iris's limp body in his arms. "This isn't happening! There's no reason for me to go on!" He looked at Iris's inert form and a sudden realization struck him.  
  
"What... what am I fighting for?!"  
  
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Ha, there's the end of this chapter. All reviews will be taken into account and I wish that more people would read and review this. Enjoy!  
  
~Kingkazul400 


	5. Chapter 5: Truth Within Lies

God, am I behind schedule... stupid Finals... gagh... anways, this chapter kind of runs away (don't ask) from the original plot in the game. I swear, my fingers does the brainwork half the time...

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Chapter 5: Truth within Lies  
  
==========  
  
Zero's body shook madly as Cerveau and Ciel looked on. The two scientists have already tried many different injections and methods to try to calm the Red Legend but all of them failed. Zero's systems simply overpowered the vaccines they had given him. Ciel still hung dearly onto Zero's ungloved right arm.  
  
"This has to stop!" Ciel yelled to Cerveau in a fit of rage. "Can't you do something to stop this?" The Reploid Scientist shook his head sadly.  
  
"I wish we could stop his memories from haunting him, but there's no way we can stop it. These things are hard to eliminate. We know much about the body structure of Reploids of today but Zero's internal structure remains much of a mystery to us. We can't exactly stop him with just something from this time period. Remember, he's of the same legacy as the original X."  
  
"Well we have to try, Cerveau!" Ciel blundered as her grip on Zero's right hand tightened. "All the Neo-Arcadians have been searching for you all these years for you skill and capability as a scientist. Why must you deny us of your skill?"  
  
Cerveau bowed his head and remained silent. Ciel looked at him and then turned back to Zero. The human scientist did not realize what she had just said. Cerveau may be a Reploid but they have been programmed to have emotions and feelings.  
  
Stepping toward the sliding doors, Cerveau looked over his shoulder at Ciel. "I'll be in Storage," was all the scientist said as the door slid shut with a gentle thump.  
  
Ciel concentrated on the face of Zero. That fine face, that excellent jawline, those wonderful eyes. Is there a reason why not a female, human or Reploid, has fallen for him yet? Ciel shook her head as she blushed.   
  
(Of course he has a certain lady who wishes for him yet he doesn't know,) Ciel thought as she held onto Zero's hand. (Maybe I should just... just tell him when he wakes. Nah, it's much better to tell him as a surprise.)  
  
Ciel continued to watch Zero, unaware of what she had done to Cerveau.  
  
=========  
  
Cerveau stomped down the hallway to the elevator. As the glass doors slid shut, he punched the button labeled "Bottom Level: 1". As the Reploid Scientist leaned against the frame of the elevator, he fumed in anger.  
  
"Ciel shouldn't have taken her rage out on me," he said bitterly as he looked out the windows. "If she actually realized that I can't do a single thing on this at least two hundred year old piece of machinery, then I can get on with my research. But no, she just has to forget her responsibility to the Reploids."  
  
Running a gloved hand through his hair, Cerveau sighed. AFter saying all that, he can't possibly continue with his research. He'll just sit all alone in his office once more, just like it was before Zero ever came into the vision of the Resistance. But if it weren't for the Legend to return, then all of them would've been crushed long ago.  
  
As the lift slowly stopped, Cerveau cannot decide what to do. Should he bide his time and tell Ciel his true feelings? Or should he just keep it to himself? Gripping his head at the sudden flow of data to his mind, Cerveau wished that he never was programmed with emotions.  
  
"They just simply get in the way..."  
  
==========  
  
Elpizo sighed as he paced back and forth on the Operator's Deck. He'd sent a squad of his best scouts to scout out the Forest of Dysis. He had heard rumors that the forest hides the last of the two Baby Elves. He halted and leaned against the metal railing.  
  
(But how and what is taking them so long?) he wondered. (They should have found it by now. It can't be that difficult to find the container.) As he became lost in his thoughts, the blonde haired operator suddenly alerted him.  
  
"Commander, we have received a message from one of the scouts you sent to the Forest of Dysis. Would you rather have it now or on the main screen?"  
  
"Hm? Oh, put it on screen."  
  
A projecter revealed itself from the ceiling, lowering itself in a slow fashion. When it came to an halt, a staticky picture appeared. It was one of the scouts that Elpizo had sent out to the Forest of Dysis! The scout's face was covered by the white helmet but Elpizo could sense the nervous energy from the scout.  
  
"Report." Elpizo ordered as he rested a hand lightly on the railing. "What's the status of the mission?"  
  
"Well, sir, we've already arrived and found the entrace to the complex. We've already lost three comrades to the guards and traps. The commander took the rest and managed to get past the other traps and safeguards Neo-Arcadia had put up here." The scout then punched several buttons. "We've already taken many pictures of the area and we are sure that this is all we need."  
  
"What are you doing at the evacuation point?" Elpizo demanded as he smashed his fist on the railing. "Did I not give strict orders to continue with the rest of the platoon with the scouting? Didn't I?"  
  
The scout on the other end paled slightly and gave a nervous cough. "Um, I was left behind to act as the perimeter guard for the extraction point. Commander told me to stay behind just in case we need to pull out quickly. He radioed me an hour ago and I'm afraid that he's been, well, captured."  
  
Elpizo couldn't contain his rage. With his own strength derived from fury, he ripped a piece of the metal railing off and slammed it on the floor.  
  
"If you don't get in there and get them out," Elpizo yelled as spittle flew from his mouth. "I will personally go there and deactivate you myself! Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"C-c-clearer than a bell, sir!" the scout stammered. "Over and out!" The screen turned pale and then it went blank. The words "Signal Terminated" appeared and the Operators deactivated the main screen.  
  
Elpizo continued to breathe heavily, his chest rising and falling. How dare that scout disobey his strict orders! That scout should be happy that he's received a second chance. But if that entire platoon doesn't pull out, he will just have abandon the entire mission.  
  
The red robed Reploid stomped off the Operator's Deck, leaving the two ladies alone. In his right arm was the piece of the railing, still bent. As Elpizo left for his quarters, the hum of the Transerver came online. Too angry to confront the returning coward, Elpizo stepped into the elevator and went to his quarters.  
  
============  
  
All was real and all was surreal. Neural pathways fixed themselves and then decayed before Zero's eyes. Entire blueprints of Reploids turned from drawings into actual constructs. The Crimson Warrior shook himself from a sudden daze. As he looked around, a thought when about his mind.  
  
(Where am I?) Zero thought as he walked along a strange pathway. (All about are circuitry and other electronics. Where is this place?)  
  
He continued to walk along, briefly stopping occasionally at some strange metal construct. It was a statue, a replica of something that was once living. Upon closer inspection, it was familiar and yet comforting. Zero stepped closer to get a better look but a strange force knocked him back. As he came in contact with the field of strange energy, a strange image flashed before him. But as quickly as he sensed the energy, the image disappeared. All he saw a brief picture of a female, a female Reploid to be exact.  
  
(Who is this?) he wondered as he slowly got up, recovering from the strange experience. (She looked oddly familiar yet I still don't know her. Who is she?)  
  
Zero continued farther down the darkened pathway, seeing more and more statues of humans and Reploids, some from the past, some from the present, and several looked of the future. He stopped before one for some strange impulse inside him made him stop. Zero looked at the face of the Reploid and was astonished. This was the same Reploid he once dueled against. But who? On the strange Reploid's helmet was a strange symbol in Greek which looked like a trident, yet it didn't look exactly like a trident. Shaking himself, Zero continued on.  
  
More and more strange thoughts flowed through his mind. His past forgotten, his future unknown, Zero could not comprehend what all this is. Perhaps very few people, human or Reploid, could understand what this place is. He had heard of other Reploids and the occasional human experience such a thing like this.  
  
He continued on as Zero allowed his mind to wander. But as he continued, he felt something on his hands. Raising his hands to eye level, Zero saw nothing. Nothing was on his hands, nothing. But that strange sensation continued. It felt soft, but Zero couldn't find the source.  
  
(What can this sensation be?) Zero thought as he studied his hand carefully. (It can't be something of destructive nature. But can this be the touch of life or death? Perhaps it may be even the touch of a lovely maiden or the touch of a dark blade.)  
  
The sensation finally stopped and Zero continued down the dark pathway. The farther he went, the darker it became. Less and less statues of other people had light shed upon them. But the statues became larger and more spaced apart, with a strange menacing feeling emanating from them. Zero continued to trudge along, his boots making a light tapping sound on the metal ground. He soon came to a great circular metallic door which was at least twice as tall as he.  
  
Zero carefully raised his Z-Saber which had suddenly materialized in his hands. Unaware of how it got there, Zero activated it and stabbed the center of the door. He slowly moved it to the left where the hinges were. Zero made the cut to the edge of the door and then he pulled his blade out. The green tinged blade hummed as he swung it about in the air. The hum then turned into a quiet sting as he stabbed it into the hinges. The hinges quickly gave way and they fell off, leaving only the lock to be dealt with.  
  
Zero activated the flame properties of his blade and fed more and more power into the saber. When it began to start glowing a reddish orange color, Zero plunged the long blade into the lock, disabling any security measures it may have. Metal, electricity and fire crackled, causing Zero to break into a sweat. In all his years as a member of the Stealth Platoon, Zero had never failed to break a lock.  
  
Finally, the lock was disabled, unable to even implement the most basic of all alarm systems, to make a noise. Deactivating his weapon, Zero punched the door fiercely. The force of the blow made the door fall inwards, leaving a great gap where the door once was.  
  
Stepping over the gap, a strange white light bathed Zero. Trying to look at the source of the light, Zero had no choice but to cover his eyes. No matter which direction he looked at, a strange light seems to pervade his senses, causing him to feel some pain and some pleasure at the same time.  
  
Then a strange voice spoke, almost feminine. "Zero..." it called longingly. "You must awaken. This is all a dream..."  
  
"A... a dream?" Zero replied as he tried to open his eyes. "How can this... this be a dream?"  
  
"This is not real, Zero..." the voice continued. "Only humans have the ability to dream... remember what your beloved Iris once said..."  
  
As the voice finished speaking, a strange Reploid appeared distantly. Zero could slowly sense the light turning down but he could still feel the intense pain from it. He collapsed onto the ground. The being walked closer to him. Soon, it was next to him, kneeling to see what's wrong.  
  
"Zero?" a female voice asked Zero as he tried to get up. "Is that you, Zero?" Looking at the Reploid, Zero could not believe his eyes.  
  
"Iris?" he stuttered. "But... you... how?" Iris placed one finger against his lips, silencing him.  
  
"Zero, you must come with us," Iris said as that familiar smile appeared on her face. "General and my brother are waiting for us..."  
  
"Repliforce?" Zero asked. "They're still around?"  
  
Iris covered a mild giggle as she fluttered her eyes at him. "Of course silly! Why do you think that both the humans and Reploids have signed an agreement to fund a project to eliminate the Sigma Virus permanently!" She then leaned close to Zero. "Why do you think we're dating?"

_"I thought I told you to stay back!" Zero yelled at Iris as they rushed a mob of drones. Iris raised her Buster and blew apart a drone with one perfect shot._

_"What's the whole point?" she yelled back over the roar of enemy fire. "We're either going down together or we'll survive together!" Suddenly, a great green Buster shot flew towards her. Iris was impaled by the sight of the attack. Unable to move in fear, she screamed._

_"Get down!" Zero yelled as he dove, knocking his beloved Iris aside. Zero's armor managed to absorb the blast but his systems were severely damaged. Panting heavily, he ignited his Z-Saber. He dashed toward his target, leaving Iris alone. With one mighty slash, he cleaved the drone in two._

(Her beret was still slightly askew... Is she truly dead?) Zero thought as Iris helped her up. Looking at her,   
  
"Iris... is it really you?" Zero spoke as his logic systems began to work slowly. "I... this is... I don't know what's going on..."  
  
Iris looked at him in a confused fashion. She then quickly brightened sat Zero down on the ground.  
  
"I know! I'll go get my brother to help us. I won't be but too long!" Iris said. As she ran off, she turned her head around.  
  
"Don't you dare get up from there!" she called.  
  
(I won't, Iris... I won't) Zero thought as he leaned against a strange metal wall. (After all this time, I'm never going to leave you...) Shutting his eyes, peace washed over the Red Legend's mind and body.  
  
"Zero!" Ciel called through the plastic screen. "Cerveau! He's awake!"  
  
Zero slowly opened one eye, taking in all what he could see. Ciel beside him, Cerveau next to some computer impassively. Cerveau gave a sideways glance at Zero and sighed. The Reploid Scientist slowly touched a button on his unit, raising the screen that covered Zero's body.  
  
Sitting up, Zero realized that he was no longer in the desert. Looking in confusion from Ciel's happy face to Cerveau's somewhat disgruntled features, Zero rubbed his right hand against the temple of his head. But the unfamiliar coolness of his palm jarred him back. As he took in the rest of the room, a strange spinning feeling came over him.  
  
"Where am I?" Zero croaked as the spinning intensified.  
  
Ciel looked once at him and quickly brought both arms around his neck. Cerveau gave an sideways glance and snorted. Folding both arms, the Reploid Scientist quietly excused himself from the room.  
  
Zero did not realize what was happening. Everything, even the ground beneathe him, was spinning. The ceiling was spinning at such a distortional rate that the crystal on his head began to flash once more. A sudden jolt of pain shot through his body and Zero flinched. Ciel felt the patient move and quickly released her tight grip. Zero then sat back down onto the bed and held a hand against his temple.  
  
"Zero? What's wrong?" Ciel asked in a worried tone as she sat next to him.  
  
"I don't know, Ciel... I feel pain, but something's coming back to me..." Zero grimaced as another jolt ran through him. "I feel something... but I cannot know for sure what it is..."  
  
Ciel leaned herself on Zero's shoulder. With her face mere inches away from Zero's, Ciel felt herself to begin to blush. Zero continued to be unware of Ciel's movement, still focused on the pain and pressure on his head.  
  
(Is this the time?) she thought to herself as Zero continued to mutter. (Should I tell him of my feelings?)  
  
"Where is this place, Ciel?" Zero said weakly as his headache slowly subsided. "This can't be Neo-Arcadia... can it?"  
  
"I'm glad you're alive, Zero. You're in our new Resistance Base. Thanks to you, we were able to escape from Neo-Arcadia and start a new life in this place. Thank you so much..." Ciel said as she helped Zero up.  
  
Looking at him, Ciel sighed. "I'm sorry, Zero. We were unable to come rescue you after the explosion. Readings from the blast site indicated that you... had a very little chance of survival."  
  
"What happened to my weapons?"  
  
"Most of them were broken. Cerveau managed to patch back your Z-Buster and Z-Saber back to optimal levels. Your Shield Boomerang is under repair and Cerveau's upgraded your Triple Rod to a Chain Rod. You can pick them up later at Cerveau's lab."  
  
"I guess I'll go ahead and go get them." Zero tried to walk but he grimaced at the shock of electricity that still runs wild.  
  
"Zero, if you need me, I'll be in my room. Come talk to me when you're feeling better. I'm sure Alouette wants to hear some of your adventures over the past year. But you'd best have some rest."  
  
Ciel gently pushed Zero back into the Repair Tube. Zero didn't resist. While his mind wanted to go forth and continue his solo crusade against Neo-Arcadia, his body wanted some rest for a change. After all, he did spend an entire year by himself campaigning against the minions of Neo-Arcadia.  
  
Before Ciel left, Zero looked at her. "Ciel," he quietly said.  
  
Turning around, the scientist looked shyly at Zero. "Yes Zero?"  
  
"Is X... well, truly alive?"  
  
Turning a shade crimson, Ciel stuttered. "Um... well... I'm not... exactly sure but... I don't think so..." She then looked Zero in the eye. "Why do you ask?"  
  
"I... I do not know," Zero said as he winced at more static energy. "I swore I saw him after the blast consumed the entire Neo Arcadian Core."  
  
"Did he say something?"  
  
"... Yes, he did," Zero then looked at Ciel. "He said that ever since I went into stasis, he had fought Maverick after Maverick for nearly one hundred years."  
  
"Yes, go on..."  
  
"Well..." Zero thought for a moment. "X was usually concerned about the general welfare of those who were involved in the fighting. Ever since Middy and Techno died, he's watched carefully of who to terminate."  
  
"Middy? Techno?" Ciel wondered who Zero was talking about. "Is your memory returning?"  
  
Zero nodded his head. "I've remembered much while I was away. I can remember everything since Sigma abandoned the Maverick Hunters to start his own Maverick Rebellion."  
  
"Ciel, there's been much about my past that you may know of. I suppose it's time that I tell somebody about the true past of mine," Zero looked Ciel in the eye. "I was not the true hero. X was the real hero during the Maverick Wars."  
  
"Zero... you are a hero. You are a hero to the Reploids in this base. Even to those you've fought, they considered you an honorable warrior of the past," Ciel held Zero's ungloved hand in hers. "There's been much that you've suffered since you were activated."  
  
"You do not know of the magnitude of pain that both X and I have suffered," Zero bluntly said with his eyes lowered. "At the beginning of the Rebellion, a good friend of mine had to be terminated."  
  
"Storm Eagle?"  
  
"... ... Forget about it," Zero said as he laid back. "It's nothing major. Just get back to your substitute energy research."  
  
Ciel looked on silently as Zero powered himself down. Without anything else to say, Ciel pressed several buttons on a keypad located at the head of the unit. Her hands danced skillfully across the well-worn pads. Soon, the clear plastic lowered itself and the Repair Tube attached tubes and other plugs onto Zero's body.  
  
Before leaving the room, Ciel took one last look at her peaceful hero. Such strength inside a body composed of ancient material. How is this possible?  
  
A year ago, she was nearly taken captive by an Golem that was sent after the expeditionary commando force she had tagged along with. In the process, her trusted Reploid commander Milan was killed as they tried to figure out how to resurrect Zero. In the end, Ciel's nurse cyber-elf Passy chose to sacrifice herself to save the world.  
  
Brushing her blonde hair out of her eyes, Ciel switched off the lights in the room. Stepping out, she looked once more at her savior. Zero could be barely seen under the plastic, surrounded by blinking and flashing lights. As the door shut, a strange gleam appeared on Zero's crystal on his helmet.  
  
W...

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Okay people, get cracking and write those reviews!


	6. Chapter 5x: The Past to be Forgotten

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Chapter 5.5 (gaiden)- The Past to be Forgotten  
  
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Morris, the only Reploid to have survived the most recent purging in Neo-Arcadia, treaded slowly down the hallways of the Resistance Base. After several days of being in the new complex, Morris was sure that this base would stand defiantly against the minions of Neo-Arcadia as long as he lives.  
  
So he hopes.  
  
He halted before the third door on the left side of the hall and pressed the intercom button. A small ding-dong was heard and soon a voice crackled on the small voice unit.  
  
"Who is it?" said a woman's voice.  
  
"It's Morris, Karen. I've got our orders for our next mission." Morris waited patiently as the door slid open.  
  
But he then found himself looking down the barrel of a Buster weapon. Two familiar red eyes looked at him and quickly the Buster was removed from such a dangerous proximity from his face.  
  
Before him stood, Karen, a Reploid from the outskirts of Neo-Arcadia. She too had also survived the most recent purging in Neo-Arcadia. With long red hair and strangely crimson eyes, Karen stood just high enough to Morris's nose. But hidden beneath the beauty, Morris knew what to expect from the innocent-looking Reploid.  
  
But at the side of this red haired beauty was a Mark 14 Buster. It was similar to the Mark 13 Rifle Buster that Morris himself carries yet this model was collapsible and much more powerful. Even though it was shaped like Zero's Z-Buster, it was more sleek and compact, making it a dangerous weapon in the hands of a lady.  
  
"Old habits die hard, eh?" Morris said nonchalantly as he leaned against the metal wall across the hall.  
  
"Sorry, Morris," Karen said as she slipped the Buster back into its holster on her side. "Can't trust anyone these days." Morris nodded his head in agreement. Pushing off the wall, he stood before Karen.  
  
"Mm..." Morris then handed her a data chip. "Upload this program and you'll gain the coordinates to our strike zones in Neo-Arcadia. We'll have to be ready in a day."  
  
"I've been ready." Karen then walked next to her bed and picked up a pack. "I've got everything we need to last a week. Energeon, cyber elves, and a some spare Busters."  
  
Morris gave a low whistle. "Remind me to tell Ciel to give you the position of Quartermaster one day."  
  
Karen gave a light-hearted laugh. "Please, Morris. I've already had that job before and it wasn't easy. Categorizing everything and dividing it down to the last paper clip? Not a chance."  
  
Morris then leaned against the doorway and grinned roguishly at Karen. "Oh, so it's torture to you but pleasure for Qwerty? Never thought you'd let that little poor guy do all the work. Shame, shame, shame."  
  
Karen gave a mock look of indignation. "I wouldn't dare let you speak to me that way! Take it back!" she said as she waved her Buster toward Morris's direction.  
  
Morris put his hands in the air. "Oh, please. The most you can do it probably kick me between the legs. I've known you very well since we first met."  
  
Karen pouted. "Oh, please. Don't remind me of it. I'm still suffering from nightmares about it." Morris grinned.  
  
"Well, it was like this from my vantage point. You were there near the outskirts when a whole bunch of X Drones just appeared from nowhere. They raided all the buildings of all their 'Maverick' Reploids. I was out there on patrol with Horus and Gerry when we heard a big boom. Guess who that was?"  
  
Karen rolled her eyes. "You with an illegal over-powered Buster?"  
  
"Actually, I do believe it was you waving an ancient Mark 9 Buster at the horde of drones. Now, I believe that in my moral codes, a lady Reploid waving an ancient Mark 9 Buster deserves a rescue. So, I jumped off of the building the three of us were on and I blow most of them to pieces. Pulling you out of a mess of X Drones wasn't easy though."  
  
"You were so young," Morris continued as he placed a hand on Karen's left cheek, "And so innocent by all of the purges until then. Yes, I know. I was also young. But now, we have lost much. What else have we to lose by continuing our struggle against Neo-Arcadia?"  
  
Karen rolled her eyes again. "Morris, I don't know what you were originally programmed to be but you are sounding so melodramatic that I'm beginning to think about rewriting your program."  
  
"Ah well... can't let a actor do his job." Morris turned to leave. Before he walked through the threshold, he gave a quick smile to Karen. "Be prepared."  
  
He tossed a second smaller data chip through the door. It soared through the air and Karen caught it deftly in her right hand. Giving a wave, Morris ran off.  
  
=========  
  
Karen sighed heavily as she sat down heavily onto the bed. Pulling out a laptop computer from her backpack, she flipped it on. As the loading screen glowed blue, the Resistance member tossed the second small data chip that Morris had given her in the palm of her hand. As she sat there playing with the chip, Karen began to question her own thoughts.  
  
"Can it be that I'm attracted to him?" she whispered to no one in particular. "I mean, he's cute and everything but... I feel strange when I'm around him."  
  
Her laptop was soon finished loading. A plain green screen with her name on the top right corner appeared. Pressing several buttons, Karen quickly brought up the disc reader. A small port opened on the side and the female Reploid slid the data chip in. Slotting it in, she pressed several more buttons, accessing the coordinates on the chip.  
  
A new window popped up. This time it showed the region where the strike team, which included both her and Morris, are to be sent. A great map of some Residential District in Neo-Arcadia came up on her screen. The region's only Energeon Synthesis Plant was circled in red. Through the training as a member of the Resistance, Karen knew their new objective this time.  
  
Unlike in the past, their mission data discs no longer had objectives clearly stated. Everything they had to do had to be by ear. There was no chance ever since Elpizo became commander to bother with their objectives. The new commander's reasoning was that if one of them were ever caught, it was better to tell a lie without anything to prove that it was a lie.  
  
Karen knew exactly what they have to do. From their entrance at the forgotten underground laboratories near the top of the district, they would carefully keep to the alleys and make their way south towards the center of the district. From there, they will find the Energeon Synthesis Plants. From the looks of things, Karen estimated the complex having eight different structures. Each of the structures were like an great silo, built for storing Energeon. If the entire strike team played their cards right, they would be able to deplete at least half of the Energeon before the guards would realize what was happening.  
  
Looking at the eight blocks on the bar to the right of the map, Karen realized the utmost importance of this mission.  
  
"Strike Team Alpha, the missions will consist of infiltrating the complex and destroying as many of the Energeon Silos as possible. Heavy weaponry will be available in this mission. The series of missions will be as follows:  
  
"Mission 1: Terminate drones surrounding the northern abandoned laboratories. Expect roughly about twenty to thirty X-Drones ranging from Alpha Types to the new Zeta Types. If possible, terminate only those you encounter from behind. Should Neo-Arcadia receive a live feed of our combat, this mission and other successive missions have a high chance of failure.  
  
"Mission 2: Once you have established a small emergency exit proceed southwards toward Synthesis Plant. En route to the complex, be wary of drone patrols. As before, excercise caution.  
  
"Mission 3: Scout reports stated Alpha and Beta Types carrying new Mark XX Buster Rifles. If a small patrol is sighted, permission is granted to terminate and collect the weapons. But should a patrol over seven drones appear, quickly abort this mission and proceed to your next target.  
  
"Mission 4: Commander Beigan of Neo-Arcadia has been sighted around the region. Should any of the team encounter him and his bodyguards, quickly overpower them and capture Beigan. Intelligence has provided us with a picture and the weapons Beigan carries."  
  
Karen clicked the icon with Beigan's picture. A new window popped up, showing Karen everything about Beigan. Commander Beigan of Neo-Arcadia was a human with fair skin. Standing at about six feet and two inches with one hundred sixty seven pounds of flesh on this man, Karen was sure to not miss this man. Karen had killed before and she wouldn't hesitate to kill this pawn of Neo-Arcadia.  
  
How long had it been since she was forced to leave her home in Neo-Arcadia? Why did her masters fear the "issues" that so-called Mavericks have? Fear was all that humans knew the taste of. Karen herself tasted and looked fear in the eye before but she knew the limits a human has.  
  
Karen continued to read the rest of the mission listing. So far, there were a total of twenty or so missions, most of them being optional secondary missions. Without the extra missions, Karen was dismayed to find ten regular assignments. Ten critically vital mandatory missions were hard enough but to have ten more also important missions alongside was more than enough than the Strike Team Alpha could handle. Karen herself knew the chances of their success just by themselves.  
  
On her last assignment, which was an infiltration of a Drone Factory, Morris was wounded after attempting to cut off the energy to the factory. Their commander, Major Aidan, was severely injured in the raid and Morris had no choice but to take over as sub-commander. But since it was Morris's first time as a leader, he made some dumb but smart mistakes.  
  
Karen knew how many drones it took to force them to retreat. It took six platoons of Alpha Types to force the team to retreat. Karen was sure that they had left a heavy dent in the factory for the surrounding communites to remember. After all, she knew how much damage was there since she was the one who planted the explosive charges at the core of the factory. Once they managed to fight their way out of the factory, Karen herself exploded the charges. While the Resistance variety of explosives were not as strong as the Neo-Arcadian variation, the explosives fulfilled their secondary purpose as a catalyst. This forced the reactor core to also explode, creating a major explosion that destroyed everything in the factory.  
  
Karen counted herself lucky to even be alive that day. Morris was evacuated out when he was wounded and so was the team leader. But the seventeen other Resistance members were not as lucky. Four of them were cut down when they first broke into the core. Six more fell in the fight as they broke out of the factory. Then six of the survivors were caught in the firefight at the secondary entrace to the factory.

Karen and another Reploid named Lugh managed to get away from the firefight into an alley. But when they reached the alley, Lugh took a bullet for Karen. Karen finished off the drone that had followed them. But Lugh didn't last long for his fusion engine was damaged by the plasma shot. With his last breathe, Lugh told Karen to take his memory chip from his torso and destroy it. Karen refused to do so and tried to convince Lugh to return to the base. The stubborn commando refused and made his request once more. Karen had no choice but to give her friend his final wish.  
  
Ever since then, Karen never wanted to be close to another Reploid. Lugh was the only one she had trusted fully before. But that was due mostly because Lugh was almost like her brother, if Reploids ever do have brothers or sisters.  
  
Scrolling downwards on the map, Karen realized where the place they had to assault was.  
  
"... Not the old factory..."  
  
=========

Heh, can you people belive it? It's almost the 17th, the last day of school for me! But then again, I got FINALS from the 14th (Monday) to the 17th (Thursday)... dangit...


	7. Chapter 6: Red Warrior Rising

Chapter 6: Red Warrior Rising

* * *

Zero, still tired even though he is not human, slowly opened his eyes. His body, even though it was completely repaired, still felt as if two great Golems from the very core of Neo-Arcadia had taken him by surprise. But the red warrior smiled. Two lousy Golems weren't going to be able to catch him off guard from now on. Experience and untold power lies on his side, bringing his strength back to how it used to be before his century-long stasis.

Footsteps came closer to his recovery chamber. Peering through the glass, a familiar face looked through. A pair of brown eyes surrounded by a concerned face nearly covered the whole glass. Zero knew who it was. It must be Morris, the Reploid who had found him barely alive.

"Hey, Zero!" Morris said as he lifted off the clear lid. "It's about time you got up!"

"I could've gotten up sooner if it weren't for your loud racket," Zero replied as he winced. "Can't you keep it down?" The green-clad Reploid smiled as he shook his head.

"I can't keep quiet only for one reason!" Morris shouted as he threw an arm around Zero's neck and led him out of the room. "You should realize that you're lucky to be here!"

The dramatic yet amusing Reploid pressed the button to open the door. The metal door slid open, letting the early rays of sunlight bathe the room in its glow. Stepping out, Zero was surprised at the new look of the base. Looking up and down in wonder, he glanced at his guide.

"Yup, looks amazing, don't it?" Morris chuckled. "Here, let me show you around." They then walked into the elevator, waving hello at the occasional Resistance member along the way. Stepping inside, Morris went up to the console against the wall.

"You've recovered amazingly well for an ancient Reploid, Zero. You're known by all of our Resistance soldiers. I guess your reputation precedes you." Pausing and tapping his chin for a moment, Morris chuckled as he remembered something. "Well, maybe except for the really new members who have just arrived here recently. Oh, before you wander off after I finish my little spiel, Ciel and Cerveau want to speak to you."

An amazing assortment of buttons were on the console, nearly confusing Zero for a moment. But instead of pressing one of the buttons, Morris's hand reached to the side and flipped the entire keypad over. But what was amazing was that another keypad, this time only nine digits, was hidden underneath the first keypad. Sensing Zero's confusion, Morris turned and grinned.

"Miss Ciel and the original Resistance members told me about that monkey hunter breaking into the original base with the elevator codes," Morris said as he tapped in a series of digits. "If they ever do make it past the perimeter level, they'll never find the access codes to the underground levels. If they tried any codes or even plugging their special code breaking software into the systems, they'll be in for a surprise..."

"I see," Zero said slowly as he watched the floors slowly rise. "Has the Resistance grown much over the past year?"

Morris hesitated. "More or less. Ever since you retired Copy X, the tide of Pantheons have stemmed. Normally we'd get about five or six raids a month back at the old base but since you completely annihilated most of the core of Neo-Arcadia, it's fallen down to about two or three a month. And those waves are pretty weak, almost weak enough for the trainees to handle without the Elite Squadron on standby to back them up."

"Pantheons?" Zero was puzzled. "The name sounds familiar..."

"Yeah, Pantheons. A Reploid who was working inside the Neo Arcadia network defected to us after he was threatened with retirement for failure. He told us that the true names of the X Drones were Pantheons." Morris then glanced at the computer display.

"Ah, here we are..."

* * *

Elipizo stood impatiently at the center of the Command Room. It had been three days since the scout party last reported their position. And on top of that, that dratted so called 'rear guard' just had to return empty handed. Slamming his fist into a nearby wall, the commander's breath steadily grew heavier as his rage grew.

"Failures, all of them!" he growled as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Why, if I had gone with them..."

Elpizo continued to fume and rage, pacing through the great command room. The great doors that lead to the hallways opened, allowing two figures to enter. Blinded by the natural light, the commander of the new resistance base covered his eyes.

"Who goes there?" he barked as two beings entered. When they didn't reply, Elpizo made his voice grind in a threatening tone. "I said, who goes there!"

"Commander Elpizo," that familiar and irritating happy voice called out as the doors began to close. "I bring a valuable ally from the past. Zero, meet the new commander of the Reploid Resistance, Elpizo."

As the door closed with a mechanical whir, Elpizo was happy to see that the light was gone. Seeing the newly recovered Zero caused the circuits in Elpizo's mind to short for a moment. In the lapse of his manners, the commander could only gawk and watch Zero. After so many tales of how this legend of the past had saved the world from the vices of Sigma, it was no wonder why Elpizo lost his capability for speech. Zero could only look sideways at him before walking past him. He bumped shoulders with Elpizo, who hastily stepped back and saluted Zero.

"Um… wait a second…" Elpizo managed to stutter. "Allow me to introduce myself, Zero."

Zero looked once more at Elpizo before slowly turning around. The grind of his metal soles into the command room did just enough to show Zero's impatience at this suddenly hesitant and new commander. Zero had served under commanders like this back in his era and none were to his liking except perhaps Command Signas.

"Make it quick," Zero said brusquely.

"Ahem… My name is Elpizo. I have been appointed as commander of this new Resistance Base," Elpizo said nervously. "I've heard much about you and your talents, Zero. I would be much obliged if you would lend your support to us. Let's fight together and destroy Neo-Arcadia!" With a flourish, Elpizo held out his right hand to shake. Zero looked down at the outstretched hand before folding his arms across his chest.

"Destroy Neo-Arcadia, huh?" Zero said stiffly. "It's not that easy…"

"Then what are you gonna do, eh?" Elpizo replied scathingly, annoyed at Zero not shaking his hand. "Sit around and wait until they rebuild X? Then send down wave after wave of Pantheons?"

"I don't know," Zero replied. "Perhaps we ought to wait until Ciel finishes her energy research. With that complete, we can use it as a bargaining chip to negotiate peace with Neo-Arcadia."

"Ha ha ha… You're a funny Reploid." Elpizo cackled and laughed, doubling up. "Ah… Anyway, nice to meet you Mr. Legend."

"Come on, Morris," Zero said, nodding to his guide. "You've yet to show me where Ciel and Cerveau are."

"Right you are, Mr. Zero," Morris replied cheerfully. "This way, please."

Moving to the other end of the room, where another set of doors, smaller than the ones that led to the passages. A keypad with red lights was built into the right side of the doors, waiting for someone to activate the security code. Tapping in several digits, Morris stood back and grinned at Zero. With a click and whir, the doors opened sideways. Taking two steps into the new hall, Morris looked both ways before gesturing for Zero to hurry through.

"You're such a celebrity, Zero," Morris said as he hurried down the hall, Zero jogging to catch up. "Alouette's all a dither about you finally returning, Ciel's actually taking the break she deserves from her substitute energy research, and Cerveau's actually happy about repairing weapons for once."

"Really?" Zero said with a bemused grin. "I can only wonder why."

Morris chuckled, stopping first at a door on the left side of the metal hallway. Stepping close to the intercom to the right of the entrance, the brown haired Reploid pressed the call button.

"Who is it?" a voice crackled. "I'm almost done finishing some repairs. Can't this wait?"

"It's Morris, mister Cerveau. I've got Zero with me."

"Ah, Morris! Bring him in! I've got something new to show you both!"

In a trice, the door slid open and Morris beckoned Zero to enter. Stepping into the neat room, barring the single crate in the middle of the laboratory, Cerveau finished tapping the last of his weapon enhancements into what seemed to be a long chain affixed to the hilt of the Z-Saber. Turning around and shutting the tool he was using to place the enhancement chip into the hilt, Cerveau smiled at his two visitors.

"Ah, Zero. How are you doing?" the Reploid scientist asked as Zero and Morris came closer to him. "Morris, how's your blaster?"

"Fine, Doctor. How are you?" Zero replied politely. "It's wonderful to see you again, Doctor."

"Neh, it's still working, Doc," Morris said off-handedly. "If you would, can it be possible for you to enhance my blaster? You haven't upgraded it since three months ago." Cerveau sighed as he handed the enhanced and repaired weapons back to Zero.

"Morris," Cerveau said in an exasperated tone. "If I had told you once, I had told you a million times. We have not enough supplies and armaments to upgrade every Reploid's blaster! You'll just have to make do with your MB-17."

"Come on, Doc!" Morris said emphatically. "Elpizo's already got the new supplies coming in and there's still more coming from the raids he has been coordinating! Can't you give a little?" Cerveau still shook his head, crossing his arms across his chest.

"No can do, Morris. Either those shipments have to be coming in droves or that there's a horde of Pantheon Hunters are coming, I will not budge to improve your weapons."

"But you just repaired Zero's weapons!"

"His weapons are top priority. Yours are not." Cerveau said calmly. "If you wish to upgrade and enhance your blaster, fine by me. Get the parts I require and you'll get your upgrades. However, I will only accept this if you acquire the parts by yourself. No help from anyone or I'll make sure you will fight with that blaster until the day you die, Morris. Do I make myself clear?"

"Aw crap… Yes sir…" Morris replied sulkily. Sticking his hands into his pockets, he slouched and began to leave while dragging his feet.

"Heh, that happens all the time?" Zero asked.

"Honestly, Zero," Cerveau said as he shook his head. "How can you wear out your weapons like that? But don't worry, I've fixed them."

Cerveau chuckled as Zero ignited his Beam Saber. Zero swung the energy weapon and gave a low whistle at how it hummed gently. Switching his grip, Zero found the button to activate the Triple Rod. The saber collapsed into a staff but when Zero thrust the rod forward, a hooked green energy blade popped out on a line of green energy. Zero winced when the new addition to his saber struck a nearby crate, biting deep into the metal. Giving it a yank, the crate moved towards him before the energy blade popped out. It returned into the metal rod, deactivating with a low hum.

"Haven't heard it hum this quietly since I finished Copy X off," Zero said as he deactivated his weapon. "But what's this new grappling hook thing? And what happened to the Triple Rod?"

"Ah, the Triple Rod was severely damaged when you brought it back, Zero. This time, thanks to Elpizo's warehouse supply raids, I've kept the spear-tip and added energy chains. This new weapon, which I've dubbed the Chain Rod, still has the spinning blade technique, which you must've used several times with the Triple Rod. I must say though, it's an outstanding weapon." Cerveau gushed as he took the adapted weapon and swung it around several times. "However, it has a limited range and you can't exactly fire the grapple with accuracy if you're in motion. You'll have to stop to get a decent hit with the Chain Rod." The Chain Rod was deactivated and returned to Zero.

"Thanks, Cerveau," the Crimson Warrior said as he activated it. Giving it an experimental swing, Zero smiled. "This has to be invention of the century, Cerveau!"

"Hehe, have fun with it, Zero," the Reploid scientist stretched before turning back to the worktable. "Well, I'll get back to my research. Use it wisely, Zero."

Zero gave a hearty pat on Cerveau's back before leaving the laboratory. As the metal doors slid back together, Zero looked around for Morris. When he didn't find him, Zero shrugged and continued further down the hall. It didn't take too long before he reached the last door on the left of the hall. Looking above the door at the plaque signifying whose it was, Zero couldn't help but smile a little. Moving in front of the entrance console, he noticed a little sign next to it.

"'Door's already open'," the sign read. With a smile on his face, Zero went ahead and pressed the green button. With a quiet hum and whir, the door slid open.


End file.
